Introduction

Growth and prosperity

During the 16th and 17th centuries the city and port of London continued to grow and prosper. The Thames became:

an important merchant shipbuilding centre

a location for the construction of warships for the Royal Navy

a base for many trading companies.

Gateway to the world

English merchants, adventurers and explorers sailed to the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. London became a gateway to the markets and products of the world.

In the 17th century, 90 per cent of the country's commerce passed through London and the port evolved to cope with the increasing volume of trade. New institutions were created to meet the needs of London's maritime community.

Maritime London timeline

1500 - London handled two thirds of England's overseas trade

1513 - Henry VIII established Royal Dockyards at Woolwich and Deptford

1513 - Henry VIII founded Trinity House to oversee pilotage and collect dues on the Thames

1558 - 'Legal quays' given the privilege of handling foreign trade in the Pool of London

1570 - Thomas Gresham founded the Royal Exchange as a place for merchants to conduct business

late 1500s - London developed a major shipbuilding industry, and becomes one of Europe's leading financial and commercial centres

1614 - East India Company founded a wet dock at Blackwall

1651 - Hay's Wharf founded

1665 - Great Plague

1666 - Fire of London

1680s - Edward Lloyd's coffee house became a vital meeting place for insurance deals and exchanging information; Lloyd launched his newsletter in 1692

1696 - Howland Great Wet Dock authorised; the first major private dock

Britain and the world timeline

1492 - Columbus reaches the Caribbean

1498 - Vasco de Gama reaches India

1509-47 - Reign of King Henry VIII

1558-1603 - Reign of Queen Elizabeth I

1588 - Defeat of the Spanish Armada

1642-49 English Civil War

1649-60 - Commonwealth (the form of government set up in England after the execution of King Charles I and the abolition of the monarchy)